Iniquity
by angelitaramos2102
Summary: Seven years can change a person… Mai Taniyama is a different kind of beauty. She put off an aura of mystery that entranced those around her. Her past such a private affair that it was taboo to even acquire about it. Even with such mystery, she lived for the ethics, and was passionate about her work. Even so, what was she hiding? [Revision of In war and love everything is fair]
1. Chapter 1

_I truly hope you all enjoy this little project of mine. If there are any questions, anyone can PM me._

 _Also I would appreciate any constructive criticism._

 _Another thing to add, is that Mai in particular is very out of character, but this will be explored in later chapters._

 ** _Warning:_** _There might be spelling or grammatical errors. English is not my first language, and I'm still trying to expand my knowledge._

* * *

 **Chapter 1…**

" _ **If I could have one wish it would be for me to stay with my friends like this,**_ **f** **orever."**

 _Forever never came, and happy moments faded rather quickly. Bitter sweet memories, and forgotten promises were only left behind._ _She stared at the frame in her hands, as if looking long enough would give her the answer to all of her problems. One lone photograph was all she was left with. To her, it meant a little bit more than just a plain photo. Never less one look never ceased to rise her heartbeat into a frenzy. She tried to understand the predicament she was left with. Not many choices, and very little money. She was still young, and in the eyes of many, she was still a child. She reached to an object in her pocket, held to the small key as source of comfort. No, at this point she couldn't be a child. She had to grow in her own ways in order to survive. She had her friends, the small family she had acquired during the last few months. Even so at this point, they were all preoccupied with their own lives. She couldn't dare to bother them._

 _She took the frame and placed it in a box. Staring at the many other boxes lying around the entrance of her small apartment, she made her decision. If she was to overcome this present setback, she would have to leave._

 **7 Years later…**

 **July, Day 0.0**

Even with the powerful new A.C the company had just acquired, there was this dry heat that came in waves into the office. Her brow churned into a sour expression as she realized that sweat was now soaking her undershirt. Close to her a young man seemed unfazed by the heat. He happily went on with his day, as she on the other hand, chose to voice her discomfort.

"It's hot."

The young man's thoughts were interrupted for a second, and smiled.

"Well, it's the middle of July. I'd be worried if it wasn't hot." His soft smile radiated innocence, and an almost crisp sense of freshness. Maybe this had been the reason for why such a stoic woman had chosen him as her assistant. He sometimes even wondered why he had been chosen for such job. With no experience in his current field of work, he could hardly be even called an amateur. He sort of just stumbled in by accident, and like by the art of magic he had a good job. He turned his face to study the young woman in the desk beside him. Her soft fair features were highlighted by the sweat on her brow. He tried not to blush as he noticed her button up shirt now had the first three buttons undone. She was a different kind of beauty, and many had noticed this. Her long hair was never perfectly done, and she wore little make up. This didn't matter though, she put off an aura of mystery that entranced anyone around her. This had always intrigued him, ever since he had met her he had become mesmerized by this woman. He knew little about her outside of her work, and her past seemed such a private affair that it was taboo to even acquire about it. Even with such mystery, she lived for the ethics, and had a strong sense of right and wrong. A passionate person about her work, that made many want to know more about her.

There had been rumors about her, some said that she had worked hand in hand with the best of their field from a young age. Some said that she was the daughter of a powerful man who made sure her company was well funded and she was kept safe. Then some called her crazy, for they believed her talents were wasted in such things like these. Many believed she was suited for a high company job, not a ghost hunting agency. For him he never cared, he just seemed to be preoccupied with the present, and chose to follow her without many questions.

While her assistant seemed to be entertained by his thoughts, she seemed entranced by the document in her computer. Still annoyed by the heat permeating in the room, she chose to ignore the look the handsome man was giving her.

A ring interrupted the silence, and brought the attention of both to the hallway.

"Tokyo University Paranormal Investigators, Yasuhara Osamu speaking." A pregnant pause followed. "Yes sir, we are aware of the situation. Your case is being reviewed as we speak… I cannot speak for my colleagues and state if your case will be taken… No I understand, we are also very busy… Yes we will see you soon."

The young woman looked up to the man across the room. "Was it him again?"

"Yes, third time today. For my wonderful luck he also has my email address… I wonder who gave it to him." He directed his gaze to the young sun kissed man beside him.

"I thought you guys would make a wonderful couple, I was just trying to help you along with that."

"Ah yes I agree, that's how I like my men. Old and rich… Reminds me of my old sugar daddy back in college." His pensive look added credibility to his claim. "Besides, I'm in it for the money. Which you should know by now, right Mai?"

She let a mischievous smile show to her old friend. "Which is why it makes so much sense for you to be working here, instead of using that good law degree of yours."

"As much as I like to waste my time on a topic like Yasu over here." Playful annoyance coated the other young man's words. "Can we change the topic from this no life, to something that actually matters? Will we take the case boss?"

"Well Ren, as much as I want to turn away this troublesome fellow. This case seems interesting enough."

As she returned her attention to the document in her computer. Mai internally agreed that things would definitely be interesting. Her attention was returned to the dry heat encircling the air around her. Her brow churned again. "Someone, please, get me some iced coffee."

"I got it boss."

Her eyes followed the Ren until he exited the room.


	2. Chapter 2

_Criticism is welcomed._

 _Reviews are encouragement for me, so I would love to hear from whoever, if any, ends up reading this._

* * *

 **Chapter 2…**

 **Six years prior…**

 _She awoke in a strange room, cold and on the floor. Her mind was fuzzy. She had a weird taste in her mouth. Trying to recall the events from the prior night only aggravated the pain in forehead. Raising her hands to her face she felt the contents in her stomach turn. Then they came to light again, as these contents made a mess on the floor surrounding her. She tried to move but couldn't. Her vision blurred and then once again it all went black._

 **July, Day 0.1**

The day was no different as they day before. The sun radiated from the windows in this office in central Bunkyo. Even so the feeling in the air was different. No longer dry, but tense.

"Can you explain to me further the events that are plaguing your home Takashima-san?" The young woman in an expensive suit started to scribble down notes.

"Ah… yes, ever since we started the renovations on the mansion. Things have started to run sour. We've owned this home for over thirty five years." The man nervously played with his hands. "I stated everything that has been happening in my home in the emails that I've sent. Please, I fear for the safety of my family. I swear we are running out of time." The anxiousness in his voice was palpable, the fear in the man's eyes finally translated to the group. Before this meeting it had seemed as if this man was purely impatient, and that arrogance was the only reason for the driven calls at all hours.

"Yes, I have read your reports. Even then, you must understand. We are a non-profit organization that receives a lot of calls. I apologize for the length of your wait." Mai studied the man in front of her view. "I understand that because of the activity in your home, you decided to install security cameras."

"Yes, it was a way to try to protect my daughter who is pregnant."

"Ren was informing me that the security cameras in your home have yet to catch anything paranormal. Yet you yourself swear that furniture is out of place, and apparitions have occurred in places where the cameras are running."

"Yes, for some reason the visual is not the same on the screen as it is on real time. The audio though has been able to catch everything. We have switched the security cameras so many times. The cameras are taken out and tested, and for some strange reason they work perfectly once they are outside of our home." He nervously looked around the room. "I swear that we don't mess with any of the tape, and we have tried to test for glitches and other possible reasons for this to be happening. Even so, on camera it's as if everything was normal."

"I see, it isn't unheard of for paranormal activity to be behind malfunctioning electronics. Anything else we should know?"

"My daughter swears that she has seen a black owl on the foot of her bed. When we tried to move, the owl moved with us. He follows us wherever we seem to travel. Which is why we haven't tried to move out of our home. She also can't seem to sleep at night, she's at the last trimester of her pregnancy and needs as much rest as possible."

"Other than the black owl, I understand that people have been attacked." Mai continued to inscribe in her notes.

"Yes, our maids are scared for their lives now. Many of them have quit in the last month. We've had a maid pushed down the service stairs, and we had another one burnt in a mysterious kitchen fire. We also had a problem with one of the girls that tends to our garden. She mysteriously got extremely ill, and swears that the black eyed children have tried to kill her in her dreams."

This seemed enough for her.

"This meeting is just a formality, for as of yesterday our team has agreed to take on your case. We will meet you in your home this Sunday ."

Mai rose from her desk in order to shake the hands with her new client. The man gleefully took her hand on both of his large sweaty ones and bowed to her.

"Thank you, thank you so much." Glee dripped from his voiced just as equally as was it coated with nervousness. "I will make sure that you all have a comfortable stay in our home."

"No need to thank me," Switching her direction to her assistant. "Ren, please escort Takashima-san out."

"Yes boss. Sir follow me."

As both figures left the room, another figure entered.

"So, when do you want me to start preparing for our visit?" Yasuhara stated with a playful tone.

"Tomorrow. I have things to do. We are closing the office early." Mai cleaned up her area and headed towards the door. "Please make sure that Ren has watered my plants."

Mai took her blazer who was currently discarded on a nearby shelf, graved her suitcase and was halfway down the hallway when she was stopped.

"So… leaving in such a haste for a date?" Mischievous eyes found her in the hallway.

"Funny as usual Ren, I will see you early tomorrow." Unfazed by his question she exited the building.

As if relieved by her answer, Ren went back into her office space. She was always a person with little words.

"Has she always been like this? I mean you've known her for almost 8 years now." Ren asked timidly to the other man in the room.

"You'd be surprised. Even so I feel as I would be intruding to comment on how she was when I first met her. See you tomorrow Ren."

As Yasuhara left the room, Ren was left alone to water the plants.

 **Central Tokyo, 6:03PM**

A pair of eyes had been watching her discretely as she entered the acclaimed restaurant. The atmosphere of this place spoke of night life and sophistication. Quiet tunes were heard as well as the soft chatter of the people in the dining area. This was not a place she frequented often. Approaching the bar in her strappy heels, Mai ordered a Tom Collins. She then took a seat at the bar and patiently waited. She was slightly late, it wasn't something she was pleased with. Even so it seemed that her company had yet to arrive.

The pair of eyes watched her intently, as the man who they belonged to made the decision to make a move. Just as he was about to come from behind her, he saw another male approach her. It wasn't the right time he assumed, and retreated.

"You know how long I've been looking for you?"

The tall man with ashy blonde hair approached her. His face adorned a deep frown that showed his discontentment.

"Ayako and I looked everywhere for you. The last trace we had from you was at your old apartment. The man who owned the property stated you were unable to pay the rent."

She remained silent, plainly looking at the drink in front of her. She didn't meet his gaze.

"If you needed the help, you knew you had us to fall back on. Why didn't you?"

Mixing her drink, she directed her gaze to him. His frown fell once he stared into her eyes.

"I'm sorry Takigawa-san, I'm glad to see you again."


	3. Chapter 3

_Criticism is welcomed._

 _Reviews are encouragement for me, so I would love to hear from anyone who reads this story._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3…**_

 _ **Two years prior…**_

 _For the first time in years, she felt confused. There she was staring out the window in her small one bedroom apartment. It was raining quite hard, even so the rain was allowing her to think more clearly. The envelope in her hands felt heavy. She was unsure of what to do with it. She had a team now, and as far as she was concerned, they just needed the resources._

 _But now, as if it was an act sent from god she had the resources to fund everything. Actually… everything was an understatement. This donation was huge, more money she had ever seen in her lifetime. She was unsure what do to at this point. It felt godly sent, yet also she felt uneasy with this predicament. Four years ago she would have had cried, this money would have had solved a lot of her past problems. The past was the past though. Everything she had gone through, everything she had achieved, everything she had suffered all culminated to this moment. So here she was, staring at the rain making the decision that could potentially change the rest of her life._

 _With the envelope clutched in her hands, she stared at the picture frame that adorned her small dresser. This was it, she had to move on. She was impeding her own self growth. As she stared into the eyes of the young men in the photograph in front of her, she made a decision. With one last look, she put the envelope on her bed and moved to throw away the frame._

 **Present time…**

 **July, Day 1 10:27AM**

"You know, I don't understand why you complain so much. This is going to be so much fun." Yasuhara's statement was barely audible as he decided to crank up the volume on the radio.

"You know what I mean by this! And of course you're not complaining, you didn't move a finger." Ren's glare only intensified at this point. "Yuta and I were the only ones who loaded the trucks." Raising his voice didn't seem to have much effect on Yasuhara, who just pretended to ignore the glare he was currently receiving from him.

"I wonder what will be for dinner later."

' _What an_ ass' Ren thought. He crossed his arms and tried to relax for the next hour.

 _Hours earlier…_

 _Everyone was putting the last few things together. Packing up was the last thing to do, and sadly this was extremely tiresome for the young men in the courtyard. After everything was set, then they would be on their way to Shizuoka._

" _You know, it's really out of place for Mai not to be here already." Yuta pondered for a small second. "Now that I think of it… she's always here. In the last three years that I've wasted my time with all of you idiots, I don't think I've ever seen her be late."_

" _I wouldn't get too worried, she's a big girl." Yasuhara chimed in while checking out the items in the inventory. "Besides, she's decided to leave me in charge."_

 _The statement alone was enough for Ren to almost drop thousands worth of electronics to the ground. "What do you mean Yasu?! She left you in charge?!"_

" _Yes, something about research…that she needed to approve the list for the incoming students this fall... and something really important that I'm currently blanking on…"_

" _FIRST TIME SHE EVER MISSES SET UP DAY AND YOU DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT SHE TOLD YOU!?"_

" _Now, now, technically I'm your boss for now Ren. Be a darling and use those cute legs to go get me some coffee."_

" _You're not my boss!"_

 _Oh yes. Times like these Yuta truly wondered what made him want to be part of something he didn't even believe in. A double major in Astro Physics and Mechanical engineering should be using their degree from such a prestigious university in better ways. Even so, here he was. As a working mule for a dysfunctional freak show._

" _Good morning guys. Sorry I'm late. My allergies are particularly bad this morning" A soft melodic voice broke the tense air._

 _Ah yes there it was, the only reason for why Yuta stayed around._

 _The attention from the group shifted towards the petit woman in white. Her features resembled a doll, and her pale skin stood out in contrast of her deep midnight hair and hazel eyes._

" _Oh Koharu-chan, I hope you've been having a wonderful morning." Yasu smiled widely at the small woman in front of him. "After we finish packing, you'll be riding with Yuta to the Takashima residence. This shouldn't take much longer."_

 _While Yuta truly sometimes wondered why he was hanging around two buffoons, at this moment he truly believed Yasuhara wasn't always that bad._

 **Takashima Residence**

 **11:38 AM**

Almost a year ago, Taichi Takashima invested almost two million dollars in the gardens that lead a path for his multimillion dollar property. He had ordered evergreens to be brought from Alaska, tulips bulbs were hauled from Holland, and the most exquisite fountain was carved from the most expensive marble a man could potentially buy. The new additions only added more beauty to the already beautiful mansion.

But now, the beautiful property no longer shined with its restored glow. This could be attributed to the malignant spirits that apparently plagued this home, but to Satoshi Ren he truly attributed all of this to the fact that half of the tulips were now ruined by tire marks. Not to mention that there were currently dozens of vans parked all over the place.

"Um, Yasu… Why are there so many vans already here?"

"Oh yes, I think that's what I was forgetting to mention."


	4. Chapter 4

_C_ _riticism is welcomed. As always..._

 _Reviews are encouragement for me, so I'm thirsty for them reviews._

* * *

 **Chapter 4…**

 **Three years prior….**

" _No."_

" _Come on Mai! It's only a club. I promise it won't take much of your time."_

" _I said no."_

 _She really had little patience for something like this right now._

" _Mai, c'mon think about it. Back with the SPR we all kicked ass! I think this could be fun."_

 _She really needed to get out of here. She took haste to her pace and tried to leave Yasuhara behind._

" _Please just hear me out!"_

 _No, she had no time to waste around. She was here on a scholarship, and her GPA was the only thing that mattered at the moment._

" _I already have an investigation planed!"_

 _No. no. no. no. She needed to get away. NOW._

" _Seriously! Please wait up!"_

 _Mai had tried to take many twists and turns during this small chase, all in hopes of losing the man on her trail. Eventually it all backfired. She was cornered._

" _I need to get to class."_

" _Don't you ever miss it? Doesn't it feel like you need to fill that void?"_

 _A void huh?_

" _Things haven't felt the same since the SPR went down the drain. I feel like I need to have that back in my life... Mai, please consider it."_

 _He extended to her a flier, which she hastily accepted._

" _Just think about it, please… I hope to see you tonight."_

 _As the man ran off towards the opposite direction, Mai looked at the paper in her hands. She knew she would eventually regret this… Now to her new dilemma. What would be the way back to her Business Analytics class...?_

 _ **Three days prior…**_

Clouds. So dull, yet so necessary to this planet. So far he had endured eight hours of almost the same image on his window.

"After we arrive, we will meet the CEO of T&T insurance company and attend dinner in Tokyo."

He tried to keep his mind preoccupied by listening to his assistant. But something about this particular flight just seemed so exhausting. Even with his own private jet, all of this was strangely draining.

"We will have two days to rest and make last arrangements, then on Sunday we will arrive at the residence…. Are you ok? Are listening to me?"

"Yes, I'm aware of the events planned."

He tiredly looked once again outside the small window next to him. He took a deep breath and slowly started to close his eyes.

"Sir, your mother is on the line."

Of course…

"Tell her I'll call her once we land. I want to rest."

"Yes, of course Dr. Davis."

 _ **Present Day…**_

 **Takashima Residence 11:03 AM**

Sure, he looked pristine. His Armani suit was perfectly tailored, his expensive watch shone with the sun, even his hair seemed to perfectly fall on his face. Even so, his eyes, the look they expressed seemed dead and tired.

With it being the middle of July and all, most people would expectantly dress according to the weather. It was basic 5th grade science, dark colors absorb more light therefore they absorb more heat. Even so, the young scientist (and double PHD awardee) seemed to care less about the laws of nature and chose an all grey and black attire for the day's events.

Today was a typical Sunday, he had at least a dozen staff running around the place. Measuring, calculating, whatever else was needed. Sure he supervised, he told them what to do, but he had no relation to any of them. Well… other than being their boss.

"I want all of the internal wiring of the central computers checked out. Afterwards we shall replace the cameras and install our own inside the building."

"Yes sir."

What was the name of that guy again? No it didn't matter. His assistant was the only person who seemed to understand him.

"Lin, make sure to round up the maids. I will be taking their accounts in a few minutes. "

As his assistant went and took his leave, he realized something. He needed a real break. He was actually surprised of admitting that. A workaholic (or so people told him), that never really seemed to have time for himself was admitting that he needed a break.

"Now that's a sight I never thought I'd see again."

The voice behind him forced him to exit his thoughts. Standing there was a person he hadn't thought about for a while.

"Monk? Interesting to see you here."

"I could be saying the same thing Naru."


	5. Chapter 5

I wan't to apologize to those few who have been following this story. I haven't been uploading because I purposefully took a week off on writing after I published the story. Then I went to work at camp which is currently taking over my life. I want to say that I MIGHT upload another chapter today (it is father's day so its a maybe). I also want to say that I will be updating every weekend. SOMETIMES on week days. But I have discovered that I enjoy writing in some ways. It will be a hobby and not a job so I can't say how many more chapters there will be till the story is done. If you enjoy the story please subscribe or favorite it. I also would love to hear reviews on this story because I really mean it when I say they encourage me to write more. Criticism is welcomed, for it helps me improve.

Happy fathers day everyone! This also goes to the women that act as both figures in many lives.

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Chapter 5

 _ **Six Years Prior….**_

" _Hey Mai! Please tell me you're coming to the New Year's party?"_

 _Mai turned to stare at her coworker. He was extremely attractive, so attractive that many of her class mates actually frequented the restaurant just to see him. He looked like one of those drama stars she had seen on her television before. His bright eyes, dyed blonde hair, perfect skin, and toned muscles, made women (and some men) from every age take a second look._

" _Hmmm… I don't know Akira-Kun... I have work at my other job at 6am tomorrow morning."_

" _C'mon Mai! You work way too much for a high school student. You should have fun once in a while!"_

 _She looked at the clock on the wall. It was still kind of early. They would all clock out really soon to begin with. All in order to go to this "Work Place New Year's party" her manager had planned…. Hmmm… Now that she was thinking about it, he was right. She had been working way too hard lately._

" _Well… you know what. You're right. I'll go."_

 _Akira's face and demeanor showed a new glow. She would call it happiness but it was sort of different. Almost… twisted… but no never…_

" _I will see you later! I'm leaving a little bit early to get ready for tonight!"_

 _His happy go-lucky demeanor just showed her that this was all just in her mind._

" _See you later Akira-kun!"_

 _Mai continued to happily wash the dishes in front of her and started to hum a happy tune._

 _ **Present Time**_

"Wait… so you're going to tell me that our current client called more than one agency for this case?"

"I mean, obviously Ren. Are you dumb? Look at how many vans are already here."

That comment earned another glare to Yasu, who seemed to be getting all the possible glares from Ren today.

"Now I can see why Mai wasn't here today."

Ren directed his gaze to his two coworkers who were quickly approaching their direction.

"So tell me Yasuhara. Is she really not here today because of her future students, or is it because she can smell something fishy in all of this?"

Yasuhara's demeanor changed to a more serious look for a quick second. Then it changed as quickly as it came. He smiled and turned to his employee.

"Ahh Yuta-Chan, smart as always. You should teach Ren some of your ways."

Another glare.

"What is that supposed to mean!"

"Well look at this! Yasuhara-san I didn't expect to see you here!"

The sound of a foreign accent took the attention of the group to a young handsome man in casual clothes. He had parked his small car next to the van that Yasuhara and Ren had been using all morning. With a wide friendly smile he approached the group.

"Oh my! Look at who we have here! Guys this is my old friend, and old coworker, Mr. John Brown"

Ren inspected the young man who had joined into the conversation. He seemed pretty normal to be a friend of Yasuhara. He actually seemed like the kind of guy that would have had been one of his fraternity brothers back in college.

"What are you guys doing here? What a coincidence, are you guys also here for this case?"

"Yes! Actually, I am the founder and CEO of the Tokyo University Paranormal Investigators."

Another glare. Ren gawked at Yasuhara. What the fuck was he talking about? From what Ren understood is that he was only a co-founder and manager. No more! Then something clicked… Something wasn't right here. Yasuhara was definitely doing this for a purpose. What was going on?

"Oh my! I have heard of you guys! I can't believe the CEO was you, this is definitely going to be very exciting! Now who do I have the pleasure of meeting today?"

The air around the group grew a little tense, but the young foreigner didn't seem to notice.

"This is my team. Ren is my assistant and team idiot. Yuta-chan over here is our non-believer who conducts all of our research and tries to debunk everything that we do, and this living doll over here is our amazing psychic Koharu Nabusa. Now tell me, who called you John?"

John had a pensive look for a second.

"You see, after the SPR was disbanded, all of us with the exception of Naru actually came together almost three years ago. We've all been taking cases here and there. Nothing big but we all have been working with experts to drive off spirits."

"If it's ok to ask, how do you drive off spirits? I can feel a lot of peace around you." The lone female in the group spoke.

"I am a priest and exorcist."

"You mean like that 80's American movie? WAIT... Do you swing around holy water and try to compel spirits out of people?"

Just as if it had been children at a playground, everyone looked at Ren and laughed.

"What? It's a serious question!"

As the rest continued to chatter away, Ren looked into the distance and noticed that a couple of strange men started to approach the group. He then promptly stomped on Yasuhara's foot in order to gain his attention. Yasuhara wished he could have had enjoyed the sudden pain on his foot, but all he could do was to return a fierce glare towards Ren. He quickly gained his composure as he noticed the men that were approaching.

"Wait, isn't that the famous paranormal researcher and master of the paranormal Oliver Davis!?"

The usually quiet Koharu let out an excited shriek. Which in return produced an irritated and jealous stare from Yuta.

"Who?!"

"Well my dear Yuta, that over there is the biggest narcissist in existence. Who also happens to be my old boss. You can also thank him for the existence of our organization."

Ren studied the young man in between the two other males. Oliver Davis? He had never heard of him before. But he was sure that he had seen him somewhere. He continued to stare intently at the man, until both of them made eye contact. Like the quick sharp sound of a bell, the aura surrounding him changed instantaneously. Something snapped. Darkness began to surround the corners of his vision making it only possible to notice the slow and long steps Oliver was making. Suddenly it was only the two of them. Once again, something snapped. Something seriously wasn't right, why were two of him now? He began to feel light headed and then everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

To the few that have been following this story, you guy's are allowed to hate me. I haven't uploaded in two weeks. But I already have most of chapter 7 written and will be posted later tonight after I'm done with celebrating fourth of July.

Now, I hope everyone is responsible today, and that everyone has a safe and happy fourth of July!

If you're enjoying the story, please don't forget to review and subscribe!

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

 _ **Two Years Prior….**_

" _I want to personally congratulate you before graduation. I have never been blown away by any of my students before."_

 _She was currently staring at her favorite professor and research mentor from the last year. He without his knowledge, for she would never admit it out loud, had been a great friend and consultant during the last two years of her college carrier._

" _Sir, I have tried to excel my best in everything that I do."_

" _I can see that. Not only are you graduating first of your class, but you also have been offered a job that even some of my peers would dream of."_

 _She had listened to this type of compliment many times during this past week. Not that she was complaining, but it was starting to become tiresome._

" _You have done so much in such little time. I wish to ask you something before you walk that stage."_

 _She stared into the eyes of her mentor, he had something up his sleeve…_

" _Sure Ito-san, what is it?"_

 _The demeanor of her professor changed in less than a second. His usual light aura switched to that of a complete opposite emotion. The deep wrinkles in his face, that usually added more light to his features, now frowned along with his demeanor._

" _Tell me, why is it that your eyes only seem to show an endless void?"_

 **Present Time….**

Water…. So much water. Pain shot across his temple. He winced as he slowly used his upper body strength to push himself into a sitting position. His senses were messed up, he was sure he was floating on a surface full of water. But here he was completely dry. He looked at his surroundings trying to adjust his blurry vision. With one hand on his forehead, he carefully found the strength to stand. While doing so he felt the ground move in ripples with each of his movements. It took a couple of seconds but he was now able to see clearly. Now that he was able to admire his surroundings, he noticed that only a faded green light kept him out of the dark. He was unaware of where this light came from, and chose it would be best to find its source. He took a few tentative steps as he was made aware of the liquid surface he was currently standing on. He was no Astro Physics expert like Yuta, but he clearly understood that walking on water was an impossible feat.

More pain shot through his temple. This time more unbearable than before. His hands began to cradle his head as he fell onto his knees causing a splash on the water surrounding him. Something inside of him told him that he had to keep moving. The pain was blinding, and even so he pushed on.

Crawling on his hands he made the small movements forward, he began to panic. He needed to find a way to get out. He looked forward and saw a figure that was slowly approaching. The figure took long slow steps towards him, without a hurry and yet slowly catching up to him. He focused on the figure and realized that it was a familiar figure. More pain… He tried to keep moving, something telling him that he had to reach this person who was only a few steps ahead. His head hung low as he pushed himself to keep crawling.

Out of nowhere, the water began to move in quick ripples. Something else was approaching from behind. And it was coming fast. His mind told him not to look back, to keep moving. He looked up to see that the familiar figure that had been approaching him was that of a man dressed in black. He was trying to reach him but was being held back, as if the distance between them grew more and more by the second. Ren realized that it was futile, whoever this guy was would never reach him in time before whatever was behind him got him.

Ren kept looking forward though, he couldn't give up. He saw that the man was shouting something, he couldn't recognize what he was saying. The pain was making his ears ring in agonizing shudders.

"….Please…. Mai!"

Mai? What did she have to do with this? The other words he was shouting were unrecognizable. He needed to know what he was saying though, his gut told him it was important.

He kept moving, crawling on and tried to focus on the man that seemed so close yet so far away. He kept shouting, but his ears wouldn't focus on the sound he was making. Ren tried to look at the man who was desperately trying to tell him something. His sense of hearing was not working at its best, but his vision still worked even though it was blurred. Ren focused on the man's mouth. His lips were moving rapidly, yet so slowly. He caught the way the syllables were making the lips of this other fellow move.

A hand, no clawed digits, grabbed a hold of his ankle as he was pulled back. With this sudden movement he was finally able to see the beast that had been chasing him. White scales covered its body, the humanoid creature was horrendous. A mouth with sharp teeth, that moved in a broken pace. It used its extremities to crawl towards him like a crab, and once it had a hold of him it let out a horrendous shriek.

Ren tried to hold on to something, but the water surface had nothing in which he would be able to grab onto. Ren screamed as he heard the man once again shout.

"Mai is in danger! Protect her!"

With that it all went dark.

* * *

He shot upwards unaware of the IV that had been currently lodged in his arm. Pain clouded his vision once more. He groaned in frustration. He needed to get away. He grabbed at the IV in his arm and ripped it off, which in turn caused for blood to trickle down his arm.

He was about to make a run for it when he was stopped by a groggy figure.

"WOAH! NO, where the hell do you think you're going?!" Yasuhara tried to push back on a quickly panicking Ren.

"NO! You don't get it! I have to go! Mai is in-

"-Tokyo taking care of her business! Calm down you're just disoriented. It was a bad dream Ren!"

Ren took a second and realized that he was no longer in that weird setting he had believed was real… No, the feeling in his gut told him it was all real.

"What happened?" Ren asked incredulously.

"It was way too hot outside and you were dehydrated. You've been unconscious for the past thirteen hours. Which by the way… you scared the shit out of Koharu, and totally embarrassed me in front of everyone!"

Yasuhara continued to berate Ren, who paid little attention to whatever else Yasuhara was saying about hydration. He still had his adrenaline running, and his fight or flight senses were still very in action. Something wasn't right. Something told him that. He didn't know what, but a voice inside of him told him so.

" _Protect her!"_

Growing tired of Yasuhara's voice, Ren made a grab at his shoulders and brought him to eye level.

"Yasuhara listen…. Mai is in danger. I can feel it."


	7. Chapter 7

A shorter chapter but hopefully it's enjoyable.

Hope everyone had a nice fourth of July!

Please review and subscribe...

* * *

 **Chapter 7…**

 _ **Seven Years Prior…**_

" _Your grades are not reflecting what we need to see from you ."_

 _She fidgeted under the gaze of the robust figure of her principal._

" _I understand that you are under difficult circumstances, but you must understand we have been lenient enough."_

 _With her head hung low she tried to imagine herself in a different setting. The smallest details were now seemingly very apparent to her vision. Anything to take her away from the situation would be sufficient enough._

" _Unless you say something, I can't possibly help you."_

 _More silence plagued the small office…_

" _Fine. I guess it can't be helped. I will have to report this to a social worker. I am afraid you have left me no choice."_

 _This statement was enough to be able to snap her out of the trance she had placed herself under._

" _What?! You can't do that!"_

 _Desperation began to take hold at this point._

" _If you do that I'll be sent into foster care! Please, you can't! I promise I'll bring my grades up."_

 _He stared into the young girls eyes, she had started to shake and tears had begun to form and fall down her face. His hardened gaze softened. He wanted to help her. Truly, he did. But she left little room for him to be able to help her._

 **Present time…**

 **1:54 AM**

She awoke in the middle of the night once again. Her alarm clock proved the fact that it was far too early for her to be awake yet. Her silk sheets were tossed aside, as she chose to sit quietly in the darkness of her bedroom. She took a controller from her night stand and pressed a button. The blinds from her massive bedroom window began to retreat allowing her to admire the Tokyo skyline.

The city lights softly illuminated her serene bedroom. The shadows casted by her furniture only accented more to this sense of perfection. The view of the city from her bedroom was spectacular. Worth every penny of the two million dollars that she was currently still paying off. Money didn't currently matter, for her job at the university as an analyst and professor was surely paying off all of her bills. Therefore when she first saw this apartment a year ago, she splurged a little by buying the sight in front of her.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt something move beside her. She shifted her gaze to the figure that clung to her silk sheets. An aggravated look showed in her features as she examined the handsome stranger beside her. His name, she didn't remember. Nor did it particularly matter, for she would make sure that he would be gone in the morning. He was a distraction, the type that sometimes graced her usually lone apartment. She didn't do this often, she only did this when that void in her chest became unbearable. She made the quick decision that his presence in her room now made her uncomfortable. Not wanting to be rude and wake him now, she began to walk towards her bedroom door in order to find another place to relax. This is when she heard him stir again.

She stopped dead in her tracks as she realized something. Her eyes widened by a sudden realization. She hadn't brought a man back into her apartment that night. She heard a deep growl followed by a snarl.

Fuck.

 _ **Shizuoka Community Hospital**_

 _ **2:03 AM**_

Yasuhara paced around the room with his phone glued to his ear for the fourth time. Mai's voice mail resonated through the speaker of his phone.

"She's not answering… Fuck!"

Ren had been fearing this. No one really dared to call Mai unless it was for a real emergency. Because of this she always answered the phone. It was an unspoken rule that unless it was of uttermost importance, no one would try to reach her on her cell phone. Which is why she always had her phone on and on close proximity to her body at all times. In this case it was two o'clock in the morning, therefore she would have had definitely answered her phone almost immediately.

"Fuck. I haven't talked to her in a couple of hours." Yasuhara stared at his cellphone knowingly. Ren was right something was wrong.

"We have to go find her."

Yasuhara stared into Ren's eyes, he was right. They needed to leave now, they had a three hour ride back to Tokyo and they couldn't waste any more time.

"Let's go, it's not the first time I've broken you out of a hospital."

Just as they were about to make their leave, startling the young men in the room the door to Yasuhara's hospital suite slammed open with an incredible force. Standing there was Koharu and Yuta looking quite disheveled, both looking as if they both had their sleeping patterns rudely interrupted.

"What do you guys want?" Ren stared into Yuta's eyes not caring of the current appearance that the couple appeared to have.

"Nice to see you awake sleeping beauty. Did you sleep well?"

Ren mumbled back in a mocking tone to his coworker. He didn't have time for Yuta's remarks.

"We need you guys back at the mansion. Immediately." Koharu stated.

"We have more important things on our hands at the moment." Ren stated while trying to put his jeans back on from under his hospital gown.

"One of the maids is dead."


	8. Chapter 8

It's almost been a year, so I guess I apologize? My semester is coming to an end, so I'll be able to update more in the next few weeks. Hopefully. The story will be finished by the end of the summer though. That's a promise.

* * *

Iniquity Chapter 8

 _Three years prior…._

 _"I want to welcome everyone here today. Great turn out compared to the last meeting!"_

 _Yasuhara's warm eyes encircled the small room, looking at the three people currently sitting in front of him. The small group was currently composed of two small looking females, one who currently had a large frown adorning her forehead, and a young man who had definitely been dragged into this meeting._

 _"Now, I know that this is only our third meeting, so I want to state how excited I am to have all of you here."_

 _Yasuhara took a small pause to look at his notes, as silence permeated the room._

 _"Now, as you guys can see, we have a new face here. Mai, would you like to introduce yourself?"_

 _"No."_

 _"Oh I forget how funny you are Mai! Well guys this is Mai!"_

 _The other small female in the group turned towards Mai and offered her a small yet radiant smile. While the other young man in the group seemed to be completely engrossed into the physics notes laying across his desk._

 _This was definitely an interesting group._

 **Present time…**

 **Shizuoka Community Hospital – 2:11 AM**

"She just walked into the middle of the white hall and slit her throat right then and there." Yuta stated with a horrified look on his face.

"The cameras captured everything, it was so disturbing to watch, and the motion sensors didn't go off at all either."

Ren was trying to take all of the information in. He had never been involved in something so macabre. He sat back down on the bed, his hospital gown still hanging on his shoulders. Looking outside the hospital window the realization of tonight's events dawned on him further. He felt something deep inside. He knew in one way or another this was connected with Mai not answering the phone. He knew, he was sure of it. Something innate was telling him that everything was very wrong.

"Ren are you okay?" Yasuhara shot a worried look towards his friend.

"No, this has to do with Mai not answering her phone. I'm sure of it."

Ren and Yasuhara made eye contact, both understanding the gravity of the situation.

"Wait, what do you mean Mai isn't answering her phone?" Yuta interjected earning a worried look from the other two males.

"Koharu, did you feel anything at the house?" asked Yasuhara, changing his tone to a more serious one.

"Yes and no, the house feels corrupted, but there are no spirits there. I know there is some type of dark energy lurking but it's definitely not human."

Yasuhara kept thinking.

"Ok this is what's going to happen, Yuta, where the cops called to the scene?"

"Yea the place is crawling with them."

"Ok, then Ren and I are going back to Tokyo to go check on Mai. If you both feel comfortable I'll leave everything to you guys until we get back. I'll give you the company credit card so you guys can get a hotel for the night. I don't feel comfortable leaving you guys in that house with a dead body on your hands."

The team all nodded in approval and started to make their way.

Then a phone started to ring.

Ren turned to his cell phone and looked. Mai was calling. Without a haste he answered the call as relief washed over him. He put the call on speaker allowing for the team to listen on.

"MAI! We've been worried sick about you, are you ok?" Yasuhara yelled into the speaker as he snatched the phone out of Ren's hands.

 _"Yeah, I'm ok. Something followed me home though. It's been taken care of, but I do need some help over here, my apartment is in shambles."_

"What followed you home Mai?" Koharu inquired with her soft melodic voice.

 _"It seemed to be some type of Incubus. I'm pretty sure it was sent here by someone. It seemed to be in under the control of another."_

"Wait an incubus? Isn't that a-

 _"A demon fueled by lust and sexuality? Yes."_

The tension in the room was cut short with the sound of a short laugh like snort that emitted from Yasuhara.

"No offence Mai, but that would happen to you." He continued to laugh until Mai interrupted by clearing her throat from the other line.

 _"This is not the time Yasuhara. I want you and Ren here in my apartment. Pronto."_

"Yes boss, we'll be there soon."

The line cut dead. Mai was definitely upset about this encounter.

"Well, we have to keep moving. We'll meet back at the hotel of your choosing tomorrow. If anything new arises don't hesitate to call me." Yasuhara made sure to hand the company credit card to his favorite coworker.

"Now Koharu, don't go crazy with room service!" He shone a quick wink to his female counterpart.

"Now that's I promise I don't intend to keep. I don't get paid enough for this." Stated Yuta as he quickly snatched the credit card from Koharu's hands.

"Don't worry Ren, I'll save you some chocolate fondue."

Yuta grabbed one of Koharu's small hands and dragged the girl out of the room in a haste.

"We'll see you guys later!" Shouted Koharu.

Yasuhara smiled as his two coworkers left. Knowing fully well their feelings for one another, yet seemingly oblivious to the fact. He then turned to Ren, changing his expression to a more serious one.

"Let's get going. We have to tell Mai about your dream, and come up with a better plan."

"What do you mean come up with a better plan?"

"I'll explain in the car." Yasuhara then threw the rest of Ren's clothing in his direction.

 **Tokyo – Mai's apartment**

 **5:43 AM**

Sitting on her favorite white ivory chair, in the middle of her apartment, Mai intensely looked at the wall of her living room. She had been sitting there in the dark silence, ever since that _thing_ had attacked. The blinds had been kept open, allowing for that once again beautiful view to play shadows around her. Even so, everything around her was disheveled. From her furniture to her night gown. There were pieces of her couch all scattered on the ground around her. An expensive painting laid in tatters behind her, with her coffee table left in pieces. Her open kitchen and dining room plan, allowed for the destruction of the apartment to be more apparent.

From the beginning, she knew this was not a normal case. She knew there was much more in hiding in what seemed apparent on the surface. Nothing made sense, as the frown on her brow furred even further. She was now definitely frustrated. She heard the familiar ring on her house phone line, stating Ren and Yasuhara were now in the building asking to come up the private elevator to her floor.

She took a deep breath, as she calmed a few of the hairs that were sticking from her head. As she went up to press a button to allow both of the men in. She gave one last look to her wall. Which thanks to the city lights, the writing etched into it seemed more apparent.

 ** _YOU WILL NOT INTERFERE_**


	9. Chapter 9

Ok, so I officially have a ** _tentative_ ** outline to my story. Which means it should be done for sure this summer. Even so, I am just around 1/4 of the way through because I am a slow paced writer. So don't expect for it to be done in under two months.

* * *

Chapter 9

 ** _Two years earlier_**

 _"Look Yasu, I know what you're saying. But there is no way we can afford any of this. This was just supposed to be a club. Nothing more."_

 _"-But Mai! We can definitely do this! We just need to fundraise or something."_

 _Mai looked at Yasuhara, they both had gone through a lot recently. The three-member club that he had been funded just a year prior, grew to around thirty members in the past semester. This sudden growth in members had been helped by their rapid growing reputation. This could be attributed to the current president of the student body, also being the founding member of the organization. Which in turn made it so Yasuhara had a lot of hopes in this group._

 _"Look, I'm about to go into my master's program. There's no need for us to continue this on." Mai looked at Yasu, he was getting worked up about this again._

 _"Mai! NO! We both know that the second that we leave, this group will disperse. I'm two years into law school, and I think it's time we actually establish this organization as what it should be."_

 _"Yasuhara- "_

 _"Don't question me anymore! Figure out the finances. I will get the policy down and apply for a non-profit. Our work won't go down the drain."_

 _Mai looked at Yasuhara leave with a sad look on his face. She pressed her back against the wall and let out a long sigh. Back when she worked for the SPR, Mai gained more than what she had bargained for. She had friends, a nice job, and happiness. This was all accompanied by a warm happy feeling in her chest, that filled the void her parents left behind after they passed. When the SPR dispersed, she lost her job, and in turn her apartment. She had tried to work two jobs to keep up the lifestyle she had acquired, but in the end her grades suffered. Unable to keep up, Mai had to move three times before her high school graduation. If it hadn't been that she found a job at an old library at the bad side of town, her grades would have had never gone up. Not to mention that Mai had almost ended up in Foster care twice, and suffered a deep traumatic event. Even so, she was still able to graduate fifth in her High School class. She knew that she would of have had never gotten the scholarship to this prestigious university if she hadn't suffered through all that hardship the last four years. She lost so much, yet gained drive through it all._

 _Mai had given up so much to be where she was currently standing. Was she willing to lose so much for something like this again?_

 _With a smile on her face, Mai hoped Yasuhara was right._

 **Tokyo – Mai's Apartment**

 **6:12 AM**

"My god, this place is in ruins." Yasu had a cable in hand as he tried to connect his computer into the television that was no longer mounted on the wall. As he tried to sit down on the tattered couch, Yasuhara's gaze was now transfixed with the broken coffee table in front of him. He then took a huge chunk of wood, and continued to analyze the damage.

"Damn, I had hoped that one day she'd give me this coffee table as a wedding gift."

"How funny, I don't think anyone will ever want to marry you. Specially after truly getting to know what an ass you really are Yasu."

Yasuhara shot an unsurprising look at Ren, who was currently standing on the other side of the room. With an expensive camera in tow, Ren continued to look through the lens taking pictures of the scene. He had been left with the task of taking pictures of the mess that had been left behind by whatever had attacked Mai. The writing on the wall had given Ren instant chills the second he saw it. This just rose questions to his head. Why had Mai suddenly become a target of whatever this was? Why had the guy from earlier appeared on his dreams? And why was he able to discern that Mai had been in danger tonight? Ren was now more confused than ever, more questions than answers were currently in his head.

"Yasu, how was this thing able to create so much damage?" Ren ran his hand down the carved handwriting on the wall. The etching was deep, and had a claw like attribution to it. Ren carefully ran his finger into the deep wedges, trying to answer the questions in his head.

"This incubus was controlled by a human, there's no other reason for why it was so powerful." Mai stated.

Ren quickly switched his gaze to the young woman who had just emerged from the bathroom. She was dressed in an oversized t-shirt that clung to her knees. A towel in her hands was currently drying her long auburn locks, the steam from her shower continued to glisten on her skin. Even though her determination had not showed a hint of wavering, Mai looked like a mess when both men had arrived. And yet, even now in an oversized t-shirt, still wet from her shower, she was still one of the most beautiful women that Ren had ever gotten the pleasure to lay his eyes on.

"What are you staring at Ren?"

"-Huh?"

"You haven't stopped staring at me, is everything ok?" Mai looked at the sun kissed man in front of her, unable to decipher the look in his eyes.

"Oh! I'm sorry boss." He chuckled to himself as he scratched the back of his head. "I guess I'm still not fully awake after the incident from yesterday." Ren tried to hide his embarrassment, he didn't notice he had been looking at her for such a long time.

"Mai come look at this."

Mai's attention was now diverted by Yasuhara, who was currently streaming a video onto her television.

The video showed the clear image of a young woman. She could be seen entering a lone white hallway, with a long knife in hand. With no hesitation, the woman took the knife to her neck and quickly ended her life. Her slim form collapsed on the ground, with blood quickly sweeping around her. The timestamp on the video – 12:54AM.

"There must be a connection to her death, to what happened at this apartment tonight." Yasuhara looked at the video showing carefully, with a stoic look on his face. Things were really getting ugly, and they hadn't even spent more than a couple of hours into the actual investigation.

"I agree. We need to view this case differently." Mai turned to face Ren, "How long will the mansion be closed to the public Ren?"

"Yuta stated that the police investigation should be over by tomorrow morning."

With a pensive look on her face, Mai made a quick decision.

"Yasuhara, we will continue with what was planned. Specially after what happened tonight." They both nodded to each other in approval.

"-Wait a second?! What plan?" Ren was now getting annoyed, no one ever told him anything.

"Tell me Ren, what was the first thing you noticed when you arrived to the mansion yesterday?" Ren eyed at Yasu in slight contempt. He never understood why he always had to beat around the bush.

"There were other agencies there, they were all looking at the case."

"Exactly Ren, now tell me why didn't Takashima state this when we were considering the case?"

Ren had a deep sense of realization at this point. So, Yasu knew about the other agencies beforehand!

"So… he's hiding something?" Ren looked up to Mai's eyes for more answers.

"Yes, and I want to know what and why."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 ** _New Year's Eve 2015…_**

 ** _11:56PM_**

 _She hated this time of year. In a crowded upscale restaurant, Mai sat by the bar sipping at the drink in her hands. She wondered why she even came to this place. She knew places like these always spelled trouble. She needed to leave. She turned to the clock that spelled almost midnight, man this year was shit, she wondered if next would be the same._

 _Mai grabbed her coat as she started to make her way out the bar, determined to get home before chaos spilled into the streets. As she was almost out the door, making her way through the crowds, Mai crashed into a tall figure. The impact had made her fall backwards onto the ground. Annoyed by the situation at hand, she looked up to glare at the guy who had interrupted her way. She stared into deep honey eyes, and realized his eyes were smiling at her. Her stomach churned for a second._

 _"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!" The man helped her up, making sure the young female was fine._

 _"It's fine." Mai turned to leave, yet the guy grabbed her hand._

 _"Wait! I'm sorry! Let me buy you a drink."_

 _Mai looked at the guy who currently had a hold of her hand with a deep questioning frown. This in turn caused for the handsome guy to look back to his hand, and realize he was grabbing the young beauty by the hand. Panicking and embarrassed, he let go of her hand as he stuttered with his words._

 _"Oh shit, I'm sorry to bother you."_

 _Mai looked at the guy, he had a deep aura of innocence around him. He looked not much older than her, and was dressed in casual clothes. He didn't fit in with the fancy suits and expensive cognac of this bar._

 _"What's your name?" Asked Mai. The guy stared at her features with a deep blush adorning his face._

 _"Satoshi Ren."_

 **Present day…**

 **Hotel Century Shizouka**

"Listen to me, I don't care what you have to do, but you will not allow for the police to take all of the recorded tape. Do you understand me?"

 _"Yes Dr. Davis, I will see what I have to do."_

Damn it. He was growing frustrated by the second. He swore he wouldn't be in Japan longer than what he was need. And at this point, he knew that his trip would be elongated. He wanted to go back to England, this country brought him horrible memories. Including the ones that weren't even his own. He could almost feel the fear and pain all over again. A drench of cold water and chocking. Death and Eugene. He took a long and hard swallow. Kazuya, no _Oliver,_ continued to aimlessly stare out the window of his room. He unbuttoned the collar around his neck and tried to even out his breathing. Lin on the other hand was calm and poised as always, currently sitting on the desk next to him, annotating and gathering information.

Then a nock interrupted his thoughts. Oliver made his way to the door, peeping through they eyelet.

"What do you want Monk?" Oliver didn't need to deal with him right now.

"Answers."

With an annoying huff, he opened the door. Houshou allowed himself inside, and in a matter of seconds he was already laying on the nearest couch. Houshou made himself comfortable and leaned back in his usual relaxed fashion. Which in turn earned a further annoyed churn on Oliver's brow.

"Why are you here again? You're an old man, shouldn't you be with your wife?"

"Ayako is upstairs, taking a ridiculous time to get ready."

Oliver continued to stare down at the older man in front of him. He didn't answer his question.

"Houshou, again, why are you here?"

"I came back from a six month country tour, when Ayako and I were called by that Takashima fellow. We examined the case and brought John along with us. Masako should be here by tomorrow."

Oliver relaxed a little, his eyes softened. He was still annoyed, but at least now he understood the situation a little bit more clearly.

"What about Mai?"

Their gazes shifted to the man that was no longer in front of a computer.

"Lin, nice to see you as well," Houshou was avoiding the answer by the looks of it. Oliver looked at the long-haired man in front of him.

"Houshou, answer the question. Where is Mai?" Oliver inquired.

"I don't know."

For the umpteenth time today, Oliver felt anxious. Thoughts of a smiling annoying girl with short hair clouded his vision. Their last conversation still haunted him to this day. Why did it always have to be them? Why couldn't Mai and Eugene leave him alone?

"What do you mean Houshou?"

"You heard what I said, she does her own thing now."

Mai was fine. Wherever she was. Relief followed. Lin spoke up in response.

"What a waste of Psycho Kinetic Powers. She had potential."

Lin's statement resonated with the group of men. Houshou in the end just kept a serene pensive stance. They were all quiet as Lin grabbed a couple of cups from the self-service bar and began to pour tea for the group. There was this awkward atmosphere around them, almost as if the time that had transpired had more than driven them apart. Houshou took the initiative and spoke up.

"You were the last person to speak with that girl Naru."

Naru, no one had called him that in such a long time now.

"What of it?"

"She must have had said something before… you know?"

Oliver stared straight to Houshou, took his time to give the man an answer. This was a serious case, a girl had died not even a day into the investigation. This could get out of hands if he wasn't careful.

"When Lin and I interviewed her, she answered every question we had for her. She didn't seem troubled, and more yet, she was very calm. I didn't see this coming either. "

The monk directed his gaze towards his cup, why did this have to happen? Too many issues were plaguing this investigation. They had yet to capture any real paranormal activity, but the death of a girl was enough to scare the wits out of anyone. He turned to look at the serene man who was calmly drinking his cup of tea. Naru's appearance didn't change much in the last seven years, and for some reason his aloofness didn't change either. If anything, the man in front of him looked tired.

"Tell me Naru, why did you come back? Why this case?"

Oliver examined the look of the monk's face, the man's eyes were no longer playful, they had seemed to harden over the years. Yet he could still see a spark, he began to wonder what Houshou had seen in the years of his absence.

"I came here with the British Society for Psychic Research. Along with the Independent Parapsychology American Association. Takashima is an old friend of the American founders, and is paying us a lot of money for this investigation."

"You're telling me, that you're only here as a contractor and nothing more? What about the SPR?"

"My work here is temporary, for I have no intention to open another Paranormal Research facility in Japan."


	11. Chapter 11

I wasn't going to post today, but then I took three shots of tequila and inspiration came to me. I spent almost two hours working on this chapter, and it turned to be the longest I've written with a whopping 2,056 words. Even so, I'm not going to claim that this is the best I've ever written. Not in a long run. Even so, I'm starting to think that if I became an alcoholic, I'd finish this story in a week. (Don't count on it)

I want to thank the 83 people that thought this was a worthy story to follow. Y'all are 2kool4skool. Also a thanks to the almost 1,436 people that have actually visited and read my story in the last few months. I know that many of those visits are probably from people, including me, that check the story online a lot, so the number is not accurate. But even so it's surreal to me, I can't believe that anyone would actually want to read this. This is just a project that I wanted to finish now that I'm in college. I cant believe that it's been almost a year to the day I decided to revamp the horrible story that I wrote when I was 13. If anything this should be a warning to never loose your interests. Either way, thanks to whoever reads this, I'll finish the story soon-ish. That's a promise.

* * *

Chapter 11

 _January 1_ _st,_ _2011_

 _Sixty-year-old Ms. Nikko usually woke up early every morning. By five she was up and ready, and by six, she would usually walk her small Shiba-inu to the creek near her apartment. Today was different, the fireworks kept going into late hours of the morning. This meant that her usual routine was scrapped. She wasn't out the door until almost nine, to the dismay of her tiny dog. She lived a lonely life, nothing new ever happened, and every morning was the same. Well except for this morning of course. Her routine would go back to normal tomorrow, never less._

 _She made her way to the creek in her usual slow paced fashion. Her small Shiba leading the way, as always. Such a peaceful morning, perfect for the new year. Clear skies, and nice weather. She would have to pay her respects to the gods at a shrine later today. Oh, yes such a lovely day._

 _Nikko's dog forced himself to a hard stop, barking harder than she had ever heard before. Then like a snap, his leash cut loose as the dog ran towards the ditch at the end of the creek. The old lady could not keep up, as she desperately called for her dog. He had never acted like this before._

 _Once she finally caught up with her dog, she tried to catch her breath. She grabbed his leash and tried to pry him out of the large trash-bags that were currently by the ditch's entrance._

 _"C'mon you old thing, we're leaving."_

 _As she tried to pull harder at her dog, she saw a white leg sticking under the bags. Someone must have had thrown a mannequin out. As she was about to leave, she heard a groan._

 _That was not a mannequin._

 _She let out a scream._

 **Present time**

 **July, Day 3 – 10:15 AM**

 **Hotel Century Shizouka – Main Courtyard**

"You heard me, the conversation that I had with him yesterday went nowhere. Not to mention that he's still an uptight dick."

"But are you absolutely sure he doesn't know anything?" John asked the man sitting across him.

As much as Houshou wanted to put more perspective on the table, he nodded to John who kept a questioning look on his face. Houshou then looked at his new bride, her long red hair remained the same after so many years. She was just as beautiful as the day he met her.

"It's Naru though, he's always hiding something. We should all suppose that he has something up his sleeve." Ayako had a great point, and John nodded at her response.

"You heard me old maid, he's just as clueless as we are. As surprising as it may seem."

Ayako's brow showed that typical angry fashion, oh yes, he would never cease to frustrate the hell out of her.

"Shouldn't you respect me now that I'm your wife? I carry your name now you know!"

"The only reason I married you was because I felt sorry for you. No one was ever going to marry an old hag like you!"

The couple continued to bicker to John's disdain. He was always glad to be around them. Even if sometimes they were a little too much for him.

 **Hotel Century Shizouka 10:22AM – Suite 76**

The sound of snoring and a television on in the background was all Mai heard as she flipped the light switch. The luxury suite her coworkers had acquired was nice, to say at the least, but at least $400 over their budget. She never understood them if she was truly honest. Yet she knew that occasionally her coworkers deserved a little extra. She made a mental note to forget about the price point, just for today. Once the lights turned on, Yuta scrambled to find his way. He was half asleep when he was greeted by Mai's questioning frown.

"Hey Mai, what are you doing here so late at night?" Yuta let out a huge yawn, scrambling to find the TV remote he had fallen asleep on.

"It's almost ten thirty in the morning."

Mai looked at her coworker and master of electronics with an almost comical smirk on her face. He was such a mess, and a dork. No one would be able to help him in that category.

"Where is Koharu?"

"Uhhhh-

"I'm right here!"

Coming to the call, Koharu peaked out from the balcony doors. She had a cup of tea in her hands, and was wearing a nice pair of designer sun glasses. She looked vacation ready, and was obviously enjoying herself to the commodities of this suite. A knock at the door interrupted everyone's thoughts, as the door swung with the rest of their team making their appearance.

"Isn't it always nice to be back together as a team?" Yasuhara stated as he made his way to sit right next to the half-asleep Yuta.

"I guess it's time we have an official game plan for the rest of the investigation."

Koharu made her way out of the balcony area, as she found a chair to sit on. Mai chose to sit on the lone recliner, while Ren accompanied the group by sitting on the arm rest of the couch.

"I think we must address what occurred yesterday. I hope you two had a nice day off?" Mai stared at Yuta and Koharu, both who shined with a restored glow. If only she could relax as well, she fought the urge to let out a huge sigh.

"Thanks for this opportunity for a day off boss." Koharu bowed her head respectfully, in contrast to Yuta who was still currently yawning. Mai just nodded back at her as she moved to grab her clip-board.

"Anyhow, as we all know, the entity that entered my apartment was definitely controlled by a human. The incubus delivered me a nice written message as well, which further proves this point. I have yet to track the culprit but I will find why I must not interfere with its dwellings – Which brings me to the tasks at hand."

Mai looked around the room, her peers could be placed in danger. It was quite obvious that whoever it was that had targeted her, knew of her abilities. Therefore, she had to minimize the potential harm in this situation.

"I have decided that I will continue to work behind the scenes until I figure out who sent that demon out to get me. I will be continuing my investigation into the history of the home, but I will not be present for the formal investigation. This means Yasuhara will take over as the lead in this case."

Yuta had finally gotten himself together at this point as he looked to the man who was currently sitting next to him. Damn it, working with Yasuhara was always troublesome.

"Meanwhile, I have made sure Ren continues to act as my assistant by keeping a clear flow of information between all of us. If I'm needed for any reason, Ren will know to reach me."

Ren looked at Mai and nodded in understanding.

"Yuta, you already installed our equipment in the mansion. Be sure to collect all data, and check for discrepancies in temperature. If possible, obtain the footprints of the home as well as a ground-check for the geology and earth structure."

Yuta looked at his boss. He was the only one in the group capable of conducting any of this research, and sometimes wished he wasn't asked to do so much. Yet he nodded in understanding, he respected Mai, even if he believed half of this was bullshit.

"Koharu, conduct a séance once you're able to. If you sense any malignant spirit that needs to be cleansed, make sure to contact me first if it's absolutely necessary."

Mai eyed at Koharu, she might be the oldest in the group, but her build and stature made her look much, much younger. Koharu's safety could be a liability if they weren't careful.

"I also want to state that your cooperation with the other investigators is imperative. We are not very aware of what is plaguing this home, and as far as I can tell the other groups are professionals as well. If you guys wish to work with the other teams its fine, but do not cause any situation that would look bad on our organization as a whole."

Mai was specially looking at Ren for that last phrase. He would always get in trouble, he was careless at times. Ren in turn was as oblivious as always, as he did not catch that this statement was driven at his direction. Mai made a silent prayer wishing that everything would go fine.

"I also wish for you guys to keep my personal identity private. I need to trace the person responsible for my attack yesterday. If the culprit believes that I am no longer part of the investigation, I might be able to catch them off guard. Therefore, far as any of you know, the associate with the university will not be handling the case, and my name must never be mentioned. Understood?"

As the team nodded, Mai made her point to stand and bow at her team like she always does at every meeting. The rest of the team bowed back. Their investigation would officially commence now. Mai looked at Yasuhara, his "game face" was on. She directed him one last time before she headed for the suite's door.

"One last thing before I leave for my Hotel. Yasuhara, please keep them safe."

 **Hotel Century Shizouka – Lobby, 10:45 AM**

The second that Oliver had gotten the call that the mansion had been cleared from the police investigation, he knew that it was time to resume working. He had begun to grow impatient, as he knew the more time passed, the more time he would have to stay in Japan.

As Oliver exited the elevator with Lin in tow, he made sure to make a mental note of his surroundings. If anything happened, he would once again be forced to stay in this Hotel. If everything went according to plan though, his stay at the Takashima mansion should be over by the end of the week. He silently wished for the later as both he and Lin approached the front desk. As Lin paid for the hotel stay and made small talk with the concierge, Oliver made his way to the large double doors of the hotel. He quickly found the Bellhop and requested the car to be brought to him.

As he waited for the bellhop to return, he noticed the work of the hotel staff around him. When Oliver requested the best hotel in this small country town, he never expected for such a luxury. Of course, he had seen better, in his trips across Europe Oliver had seen his fair share of exquisite dining and luxurious hotels. Even so, Shizouka had impressed him. The staff worked meticulously, he could tell from the number of bellhops around, the hotel received a fair number of visitors per year. Oliver became entailed with his thoughts, getting lost in his surroundings, not even noticing the bellhop that had approached him with a pair of keys in hand.

"Excuse me, actually those are _my_ keys."

Oliver turned to the petite form that had spoken, the woman's voice had made him exit the trance he had placed himself under.

It couldn't be…

The woman took the keys from the bellhop and made her way towards her car. Oliver remained frozen, convinced that the woman in front of him was not who he believed to be. As the woman opened the door on the driver's side of the vehicle, they both made eye contact.

In that second, they both completely stopped in their tracks. Oliver studied the woman's face, which was now cloaked in a shocked expression. Then it happened. Just like all those years ago, the girl he remembered let out a brilliant smile at his direction. He was frozen. Just as he was about to start his way to approach her, she had gotten on the car and driven off. Oliver stared at the same spot that woman had been standing. Everything happened so quickly. Oliver remained fixated at the same spot, and yet remained a stoic stance when Lin approached him.

"Are you ready to leave Oliver?"

As Lin's hand found his way on his shoulder, Oliver finally found movement in his toes and the voice that had failed him. Almost like a whisper Oliver spoke.

"I just saw Mai."


End file.
